John Lasseter fuels up for 'Cars 2'

John Lasseter fuels up for 'Cars 2'

By Peter Hartlaub Hearst Newspapers

Published
12:01 am EDT, Thursday, June 23, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO -- We're in a car with John Lasseter, and the filmmaker is in a professorial mood. During an hourlong commute from his home to Pixar's campus, we learn at least a little about the first years of the studio, Formula One racing, the Graf Zeppelin dirigible, Brad Bird's genius, the Bay Area's old Key System railway and the history of computer animation.

But every few minutes, an old Lotus, Corvette or another classic race car whizzes by, and he swivels his head. Peering out his window in the backseat, he looks for a few moments like a little kid.

"Cars 2" comes out Friday, and it continues the studio's tradition of technologically advanced filmmaking, coupled with a philosophy that encourages a state of arrested development. Shortly before the first "Cars" came out in 2006, Lasseter became the chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He's also the creative adviser to Disney Imagineering, which oversees the company's theme parks.

But he still decided to direct "Cars 2," which remains a passion project. Lasseter was inspired for the first "Cars" after a road trip with his wife, Nancy, and five sons. He did extensive research for the film, which is a love letter to Route 66.

The premise for "Cars 2" -- a tale of international intrigue that riffs off the spy movie genre -- came from the proverbial cutting-room floor of the first film.

Lasseter says race car protagonist Lightning McQueen's first date with his Porsche girlfriend, Sally, was going to be at a drive-in theater, where a James Bond-style film would be on the big screen. (The couple ended up cruising instead.) Lasseter says the story team had a little bit too much fun coming up with ideas, which included the concept of Finn McMissile, a superspy in a sleek gadget-filled car who is voiced by Michael Caine in "Cars 2."

"I believe frankly it was an excuse not to do our work," Lasseter says. "We had more fun developing the movie within the movie than actually fixing the scene, because it was having story problems. It's like not doing your homework and doing something else. Reading the comic book, you know."

Lasseter says the concept was fleshed out even more during the worldwide publicity tour for "Cars," where he kept thinking about bumpkin tow truck Mater as a fish out of water in the glitzy high-tech, high-culture cities in Asia and Europe.

"I would be in Tokyo or London or Paris or Italy, and I kept looking out the window and laughing, 'What would Mater do in these situations?'" Lasseter says. "Like driving on the wrong side of the road, or the giant roundabout (surrounding) the Arc de Triomphe. Mater would end up there for weeks and never get out."

Lasseter is a regular at NASCAR races, which provided inspiration for "Cars," but he hadn't seen an open-wheeled race live. A visit to a Formula One race in Barcelona helped to complete the story. "Cars 2" features Lightning McQueen competing in a rally-style World Grand Prix of the planet's fastest automobiles.

There are spy movie nods around every turn, but the emotional heart of the story focuses on Lightning McQueen and Mater, whose close friendship is tested outside of Radiator Springs.

The daily commute to Pixar's growing campus is a definite comfort zone for Lasseter, who carries multiple iPads in the car, with a special custom-built program that lets him record messages and other feedback to scenes from forthcoming films, ready for his co-workers when he arrives.

It may not be a typical day for the director -- the morning included a tour of the 374 Hawaiian shirts in his closet -- but he still arrives at Pixar before 9:30 a.m.

More Information

At a glance

"Cars 2"

Director: John Lasseter and Brad Lewis

Stars: Voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine

Opens: Friday across the Capital Region

If his commute seems like it has a lot of emotion, it matches the philosophy behind Pixar's movies. "Story is king" is one of the director's favorite phrases.

During the drive, Lasseter is most serious when he talks about the heart behind Pixar films. Lightning McQueen is a red sports car with eyes and a mouth, and Mater is an animated tow truck voiced by Larry the Cable Guy.

"When you get into the early stages of developing a film at Pixar, genre discussions are always really early -- is it a buddy picture story, fish out of water story, boy and a dog story?" Lasseter says. "You always look for the emotional arc of the main character."

In "Cars 2," the message is to be yourself. Friendship is tested when Mater acts like his non-cosmopolitan self during the world racing tour, which is embarrassing for McQueen. And once again the animated talking cars are a metaphor for something bigger.

"It's like a foundation on a building," Lasseter says, glancing out the window again. "You have to have a strong foundation in order to build the building, and the same thing goes for the story. Where is the heart of the film going to come from? The heart is going to come from the growth of the main character."